Most buildings in the United States and other industrialized countries of the world at the present time have built-in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. Whether such buildings are homes, offices, schools, distribution facilities, warehouses, manufacturing facilities or the like, most buildings have some facilities for circulating air. Usually the circulated air is recirculated and passes through a system by which the air is either heated, cooled or filtered so as to provide a desirable environment in which to live or work.
To distribute air from a forced air system into a room, a common practice is to introduce the forced air through a ceiling vent. A typical ceiling vent is designed not only to provide an opening through which air passes into a room but also to aid in distributing or diffusing the air in a room. Another desired aspect of a ceiling vent is to provide an improved appearance—that is, to provide a way for air to enter a room that is other than simply a hole in the ceiling with which an air duct connects.
A common means of improving the comfort of a room is by the use of a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are employed throughout the world and typically consist of a motor having a vertical shaft attached to a hub from which a plurality of blades radially extend. The typical ceiling fan has relatively large blades and the fan is designed to turn the blades at relatively low rpms so as to achieve good distribution of air without producing excessive noise. Ceiling fans are typically mounted so that the motor is in close proximity to the blades and the motor, having the blades extending therefrom, is suspended on a vertical rod. The upper end of the rod is affixed to a hanger by which the weight of the ceiling fan is supported and in an arrangement that provides for making electrical connection to the fan. An improved plenum and diffuser of this invention is particularly adaptable for use with a ceiling fan installation.
For background information relating to the invention herein, reference is specifically made to the following previously-issued United States patents, each of which is incorporated herein by reference: (a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,220 entitled, CEILING FAN WITH AN AIR DIFFUSER SYSTEM issued on Aug. 18, 1988; and (b) U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,287 entitled, SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING AIR THROUGH A CEILING IN A ROOM issued on Feb. 29, 2000. The U.S. and foreign patents cited in these two previously-issued patents may also be relevant.
For additional background information see the following previously-issued U.S. patents:
CountryPatent NumberIssuedTitleUS3,125,943Mar. 24, 1964Combined Lighting andVentilating FixtureUS3,299,797Jan. 24, 1967Combined Air Diffuser andLighting FixtureUS3,701,895Oct. 31, 1972Combined Lighting andVentilating FixtureUS3,909,589Sept. 30, 1975Modular Heating, Lightingand Ventilating UnitUS4,748,900Jun. 7, 1988Ducted VentilatorUS4,909,405Mar. 20, 1990Interjoint Hanger Assemblyand Attachable Support BoxThereforUS5,795,220Aug. 18, 1998Ceiling Fan With An AirDiffuser SystemUS5,860,548Jan. 19, 1999Junction Box For Ceiling FanSupportUS6,030,287Feb. 29, 2000System for Distributing AirThrough a Ceiling in a RoomUS6,168,285Jan. 2, 2001Universal, LightFixture/Ceiling Fan RecessedMounting DeviceUS6,168,517Jan. 2, 2001Recirculating Air Mixer andFan With Lateral Air FlowUS2001/0027086[Pub. Date]Diffuser and Ceiling FanOct. 4, 2001Combination